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Notes about this book

Easily one of the most engaging cookbooks I've read and cooked from. She has a very strong voice, and it feels like she's talking directly to me over tea. Directions so far are clear, and results are tasty.

Notes about Recipes in this book

Really easy weeknight dinner - and a good way of using up an excess of tomatoes since it needs 800g (1 and 3/4 pounds). My only issue was the time it took to reduce down the sauce to a jammy consistency. After 30 mins boiling (after the chicken was removed) it still wasn't jam-like though thick, so I stopped as I was hungry. When I use the leftovers tonight I will try reducing further to get the sauce "really jammy" as DH suggests.

This is very good and I would make it again. Be warned, it does take a while to reduce the sauce. I wasn't timing it, but I would say it took me about 50 minutes. I did the dishes and cooked rice while it reduced. Also, the sauce needed constant stirring to make sure it didn't stick to the pan and burn. The coriander and almonds are needed for freshness and crunch, don't skip them.

This was great, though I must make the disclaimer that I used a 1.5kg chook instead of the guinea fowl. I also had some warka pastry (randomly!), so I used this instead of the filo pastry. It did have a fair bit of faffing about, but this could absolutely be a midweek meal if you cooked the bird the day prior & reserved the stock. Once that's done, the rest is a doddle.

Another big fan here! I was attracted to this recipe based on hillsborok's review, and it really is worth making this dish. I used store bought harissa and marinated lamb cutlets overnight (at this point I put some extras into the freezer to use a couple of weeks later, these were just as delicious). I substituted carrots for the parsnip in the mash, and milk for the cream, which tasted great. The onion really impressed me and it is definitely worth making this component, really full of flavour and I have already made them again to go with other dishes.

Last night I made Diana Henry's Harissa-Marinated Lamb with Spiced Mash and Cinnamon Onions from Crazy Water Pickled Lemons. It was fantastic! My husband's first word was "Wow!" and his second was "Outstanding!" I had to cheat on the marinade because we have no Middle Eastern grocery stores in my town and I couldn't find plain Harissa but I did find a package of Harissa simmer sauce which I used as the marinade and put a bit in the onions where Harissa was called for. We took the lamb chops right out of the marinade and put them on the grill for about 5 minutes per side. I also cut the cayenne in the mash in half to suit our taste but it was still zippy and oh so good. I would make this again any time. Also I had her three Yoghurt Mezze dips leftover from the night before and they were perfect as extra condiments for the finished lamb. Next time I will hunt down Harissa and make this with the "official" marinade.

Pg. 30. I used the alternative given, chicken. The recipe produced a juicy, tender, flavorful chicken, even the white meat was delectable. We absolutely loved it. The chicken was salted and air dried it in the fridge 5 hours (not in the recipe), taken out to prepare the marinade, then back into the fridge to marinate for another 5 hrs. It was roasted at 400F for 55 minutes. So perfect it definitely will have revisits.

This is a wonderful cake, and has been very popular with those I've served it to. I have made a few alterations to the published recipe, and liked the results. The first time I erroneously used 9 Tbsp (4.5 oz) butter instead of 9 oz, and the texture is excellent, so I will continue to use only 9 Tbsp. I use 1/2 cup orange juice and 8 oz sugar rather than 9. Having tried both ricotta and Neufchatel cream cheese for the topping, I prefer the cream cheese, and use just 1 oz confectioners' sugar.

A simple rice dish elevated by a copious amount of fresh parsley, dill, and mint. The flavorful rice, salty-creamy feta, and sweet sauteed shrimp marry to make a delicious dish. I did find the given proportion of rice to shrimp a little off; the rice is enough for more than four main-dish servings, but to accommodate four, I'd increase the shrimp to at least a pound.

A really nice Sicilian pesto perfect for summer, this has a somewhat complex flavor thanks to the addition of sun-dried tomatoes and fresh oregano, along with basil, garlic, fresh tomatoes, and pecorino. The recipe makes enough to dress a pound or more of pasta.

This was absolutely delicious! We had some freshly caught tuna and home grown potatoes to use up. Although made up of four separate components it was not a difficult dish to make and the results were stunning. The caper vinagrette set the dish off perfectly. This is a make again recipe.

A truly wonderful dish, delicious warm, at room temperature, or chilled, and a perfect one-dish lunch or light dinner. Tons of flavor from the pom molasses, honey, and cumin marinade; the harissa and lime dressing; and the aromatics, herbs, and nuts in the salad. I used boneless chicken thighs in place of breasts, dried cranberries in place of pomegranate seeds (dried cherries would also work well), and halved the olive oil in each section to no detriment.

Brilliant recipe worth getting pomegranate molasses for alone. It is tasty, fresh, crunchy and moreish. I love this so much I cooked it for 50 guests at my wedding. I always use chicken thighs as I find them juicier and tastier than breasts. A winner.

Great bulgar wheat (I used a coarse grain) recipe - takes about an hour and uses quite a few pots and pans so not a quick supper dish but good for a dinner party. The oven roasted tomatoes were delicious. Served with marinated lamb chops.

Another flavorful and delicious twist on tzatziki or caçik, with chopped toasted almonds and raisins (I used golden) supplementing the cucumber, and fresh and subtly spicy notes from cilantro and harissa.

A delightful variation on the typical cucumber tzatziki, with the walnuts, dried cherries, and dill adding texture and complexity. This has a chunky texture, making it a forkable accompaniment rather than dipping consistency.

I also made the yogurt-marinated chicken and served it with my own Georgian plum sauce (tkemali). I wasn't able to marinade the chicken the full time called for, but it still came out juicy with a nice kick (used the on-line recipe).

I took what I wanted from this recipe- the yogurt marinated chicken. This is a great tenderizer and the pieces are always moist. I thought the spices could use some rounding out (only cinnamon and cayenne) so I subbed Lebanese Baharat which is cinnamony. The yogurt predominates, next time I will add a lot more spice.

We really enjoyed this. Beautifully tender meat & great depth of flavour, this is a keeper. My carrots were more batons than matchsticks, which I think I'll repeat again, though I'd add them with 40 mins to go.

This earned high praise from my husband. I loved the flavors but also had issues with this recipe. I had barely enough marinade (a paste really, even with additional lemon juice) to coat the chicken. After I browned the chicken, the marinade blackened in the pan before adding in the onions. Maybe I was impatient but my onions didn't 'melt' even after adding pan juices left from a different batch of chicken. I skipped the turmeric and saffron and didn't miss them.

Very good and quite easy. One quick comment about the ingredients listing on eatyourbooks. I'm pretty sure "whole cloves" means garlic cloves.
NOT the little brown pointy things that you stick into ham. :)
Although I have the US version of this book, and maybe the UK version includes cloves?

Diana Henry's twist on a typical tagine with preserved lemons and olives. This dish has real potential, though I did have a couple of issues with it. The marinade made from the flesh of preserved lemons and spices imparts great flavor. Baking the chicken atop the onion mixture both allows the skin to crisp and infuses the onions with the flavors of the chicken and marinade, and the onions do become deliciously sweet and tender. The main problem I had was that the recipe calls for far too much liquid; I cut back a bit, but the onions were still swimming, and I had to dish them out with a slotted spoon. I'd use no more than half what's called for in future. I also found the turmeric too prominent, and would reduce or skip it.

Publishers Text

Spanish Sausages and Migas, Chilled Avocado and Coriander Soup, Herb-Scented Chocolate Truffles: this irresistibly evocative cookbook features more than 100 captivating dishes from throughout the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa. Lusciously photographed by award-winning lensman Jason Lowe, and compiled by an exciting new voice in the cookery world, these recipes combine flavors in ways long forgotten - or never even discovered - in the western kitchen. Diana Henry uses such classic ingredients as olive oil, coriander, chili, and dates in refreshing new ways, and also incorporates a banquet of exotic and aromatic components, including flower waters, pomegranates, and cardamom. Each selection has an irresistible charm, from the sea-and-salt infused (Catalan Salt Cod and Pepper Gratin) to the heavenly sweet (Middle Eastern Orange Cake).